THE “BIOTECHNICAL” ROLE OF SALSOLA AGRIGENTINA GUSS. IN THE ENVIRONMENT PLANNING AS A CONSERVATION STRATEGY

Phytogeography studies are very important in environment planning, and especially in nature restoration where endemic or rare species as Salsola agrigentina Guss. can be used. These species represent the more suitable plants to be used within the protected areas. So the study on their features and aptitude in nature restoration (biotechnical role) is strongly required and also is related to nursery activity useful for a good ex situ conservation strategy of these taxa. Salsola agrigentina is endemic to Sicily island growing on soils of evaroritic origin. By ecological point of view, the species takes part in typical halo-nitrophilous thicket characterised by a relevant presence Chenopodiaceae shrubby species with succulent leaf, as Salsola oppositifolia Desf., Sueda vera Forssk., Halimione portulacoides Aellen, etc.; phytosociologically named as Salsoletum agrigentinae Brullo, Guglielmo et Pavone 1985 (Brullo et Alli,1985). Our study emphasised that Salsola agrigentina and S. oppositifolia together are shared in pioneering hardly wasted places as gullies and territories subjected to landslide. As species characterised by large capability in pedology, they grow on very arid and poor in elements soils and on different substrata as clay, marl, limestone, fossiliferous calcarenite and detritus heaps. This feature allow these species to spontaneously colonize barren land such as excavated material, tufa quarry, rood gabionade and to pioneer maritime cliffs and steep slopes. Moreover, thanks to well-grown top-root, they developed a high anti-erosive capatibility. By phenologic point of view, it was demonstrated the vegetative activity of S. agrigentina is strongly influenced by the course of the seasonal rain. In fact, during October, when start raining the plant produces buds until starts blooming, generally in March. The observed blooming period (of about 3 months) develops from the last decade of May to the third decade of June. So the reproduction strategy provides ecological condition suitable for the germination and the taking root of the seedlings, thanks to the high production of seeds and the long time fructification. The seed germination amounts at 80-85% while, germination energy capability is comprised between 30 and 36 hours. These features, together a good tested agamic reproduction, give to S. agrigentina a high biotechnical role in nature afforestation and colonizing hyper-marginal land and/or subjected to erosion .